Symbio Wildlife Park Symbio Developments & New Species

T

thorney_devil

Well-Known Member
Symbio is Wollongong's own award winning, family owned zoo, set in 16 acres of bush parkland - famous for providing genuine hands-on encounters with the most fascinating creatures from Australia and around the world.

Noticed Symbio has made a number of new exhibits & new species:
- Freshwater Crocodiles
- Alligators
- Dingoes
- Cassowarries
- Cotton-Topped Tamarins
- Marmosets
- Meerkats

Also on the way are:
- Red Pandas

Has anyone been recently?
It appears to have undergone several refurbishments...
On memory I visited in they had only just got the Freshwater Crocs and Meerkats, some of the Australian exhibits were preety shocking...
Do they still have the Spider Monkeys?

Symbio Wildlife Park - Wollongong, NSW, Australia
 
All those species were there when I last went in August 2008. The spider monkeys were also still there. The croc exhibit was great. The marmosets and meerkats enclosures were good. The enclosures for the tassie devil, some lizards and the red pandas were ok. All the aforementioned exhbits are nearest to the entrance. However the rest was a bit run down and some exhibits closed so hopefully they will make some updates elsewhere soon. It would be great to see the spider monkeys in a nice exhibit - they were just constantly climbing in a circle around the old cage.
 
I'm a previous volunteer at symbio, i was there for two yrs and left in NOV 08.... before i left there was a large freak storm that destroyed the birds of prey exibits......... in september they started to rebuild ''ralph's'' enclosure(female wedged tail eagle)........ although i do-not like the circumstances in which i had to leave... i missed the animals and some staff......
P.S. i was also the boss told me that they were getting 'Sumatran Tigers'........... -i'm a little sceptical...
 
Haha......... that's not as funny as u may think steve,......... No i didn't throw anything....... i missed the staff that were friends....... n then the other staff didn't like me- i.e the boss hated me......:confused:, and the animals were fun and always different everyday......
 
C.squamulosus said:
I'm a previous volunteer at symbio, i was there for two yrs and left in NOV 08.... before i left there was a large freak storm that destroyed the birds of prey exibits......... in september they started to rebuild ''ralph's'' enclosure(female wedged tail eagle)........ although i do-not like the circumstances in which i had to leave... i missed the animals and some staff......
P.S. i was also the boss told me that they were getting 'Sumatran Tigers'........... -i'm a little sceptical...
Click to expand...

It's been mentioned on another thread that they are getting sumatran tigers. The exibit is opening August 2010 and the tigers are two one year old's coming from New Zealand so I guess they will be Auckland's two male cubs Berani and Jalur.
 
No need to be sceptical tony. Plans are well and truely on track for the arrival of the tigers in August next year. Remember....big brother is watching you ;)
 
Jet said:
All those species were there when I last went in August 2008. The spider monkeys were also still there. The croc exhibit was great. The marmosets and meerkats enclosures were good. The enclosures for the tassie devil, some lizards and the red pandas were ok. All the aforementioned exhbits are nearest to the entrance. However the rest was a bit run down and some exhibits closed so hopefully they will make some updates elsewhere soon. It would be great to see the spider monkeys in a nice exhibit - they were just constantly climbing in a circle around the old cage.
Click to expand...

The park is slowly progressing as the years go on. It has come a LONG way in the 8 years the current owners have had it, particularily in the last 5 years (the arrival of the crocs). In just the last 2.5 years alone it has seen the arrival of the Red Pandas, Meerkats, Common Marmosets, Cotton-top tamarins, Tasmanian Devil and now 2 new Cotton-top tamarins (breeding pair) and pygmy marmosets.

When the current owner took over the park was on the verge of being closed, pretty run down and had virtually no records kept for the animals that were currently there. In just 8 years they have taken it from a scrap heap to a Small Wildlife park that now holds credit and a good reputation within the industry, regularily dealing with the large parks. Remember, Symbio was the first small park in Australasia to receive full ARAZPA accreditation through the new process!! The new and current owners have done an amazing job imho, when you see how far they have come.

The bottom of the park is run down yes, but the animals are loved and well looked after and plans are in the works to upgrade the bottom end as well. Keep in mind the entire park once looked like that. Being privately owned improvements are slow you rely solely on People through the door to provide your income.

With regards to the spider monkeys, i can assure you they don't do that all day. They are well looked after and do like to do their circuit around the enclosure. It is not a stress induced pacing, more a preferred activity (they can see most of the park from up there). They spend plenty of time being cheeky to keepers, sunbaking like little posers on warm days and picking on one another occasionally like all brothers do. They are beginning to slow down now though as they approach their more senior years (both are ~ 27 years old).

Cheers,
Josh
 
I visited Symbio on Saturday afternoon for a couple of hours. The last time I was there was more than 20 years ago, and I remember not being very impressed with the menagerie.

But I enjoyed what I saw on Saturday. As has been mentioned, the bottom part is old (but adequate for the animals). The walkthrough aviary looks like it was built in the '60s and really needs to be razed as soon as funds are available for something better. And they really need a new reptile house. The spider monkey cage, although looking old, is large enough and well planted - it's adequate from a welfare point of view, it just doesn't look aesthetic.

http://www.zoochat.com/388/walkthrough-aviary-101824/
http://www.zoochat.com/388/spider-monkey-cage-101816/

The croc exhibit was good - and bigger than many I've seen. And the Marmoset and Tamarin enclosures will look even better once the plants start to thrive and get lush.

http://www.zoochat.com/388/freshwater-crocodile-enclosure-101798/
http://www.zoochat.com/388/cottontop-enclosure-101819/

I enjoyed myself, and I applaud the the new management for the work they've done bringing it up to the standard it's at now.

:p

Hix

Note: I have uploaded 39 photos from my visit to the gallery: http://www.zoochat.com/gallery/symbio-wildlife-park/
 
Is there any adjacent land for Symbio to expand into?

With a location in one of Australia's 10 largest cities and good foundations (an excellent collection of natives, small primates, meerkats, red pandas and the coming tigers), Symbio could potentially be one of the top privately-run zoos in the country. The only thing holding it back is the very small size, at only 16 acres.
 
The tigers coming to Symbio next year are brother and sister Jalur and Cinta from Auckland Zoo. Symbio have stated that they intend to bring in more tigers and breed both of these two.
 
Yes Josh, so i've noticed... After reading my own post many months later i realise that it's does sound rather grim or malaceful so i will say that i'm sure i didn't mean any disrespect, and as i recall i left the park....
My sceptisim was only derived from the lack of work being done at that current time, i am now releaved to hear of the current work being done for said Animals.....
 
A breeding pair of red pandas is arriving soon with the female coming from Mogo and the male coming from Adelaide.
 
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